After a couple years of teasing screenshots and videos, En Masse Entertainment is finally ready to unleash its massively multiplayer online action role-playing game Tera on a lovely day in May.

May 1, to be exact, the same day that several decades ago saw my heroic escape from the clutches of my mother's womb. While I desperately try to get the thought of my mother's womb clutching things out of my head, let me tell you a little about Tera.

Technically an acronym for The Exiled Realm of Arborea, Tera is a fantasy MMO that emphasizes action over clicking. Rather than walking up to the monster they wish to kill and pressing buttons, players will have to dodge, weave, block, and strike at the right moment in order to slay their foes. It's a skill-based system that could possibly alienate some of the more casual MMO players, though I could see it drawing in some fresh faces as well.

On top of the action combat, Tera also features a unique political system in which players actively campaign for leadership of their region. They can campaign in-game, on Facebook, via Twitter; hell, they can hire skywriters if they think it'll help get them elected. Once elected they wield great power to change their particular region, but instituting change requires special currency earned by running difficult missions with a powerful group of friends.

So Tera has some rather nifty social mechanics, a kick-ass ass-kicking system, and one hell of a lovely release date. Look for it in both Standard and Collector's editions on May 1.